Hortencia and ErnestoDel Rio (Adriana Sevahn Nichols and Eddie Lopez) are devastated when they are told they have given birth to a child who is not likely to survive. Photo by Jenny Graham, Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Amidst Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s brooding King Henry V and raging Othello lies a gem of
rollicking laughter and delight: Destiny of Desire by Karen Zacarias. Destiny of Desire is an on-the-mark and over-the-top parody of the popular telenovela genre, and the OSF production, directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela, spares no expense with righteous nuns, switched-at-birth babies, a mustachioed villain and, of course, a tigress of a blonde-wigged matriarch, played with devilish delight by OSF veteran Vilma Silva, named Fabiola Castillo. And, in this stratosphere of the crazy telenovela world there even exists a little song and dance. Festival newcomer, actor Eduardo Enrikez wrings a Spanish ballad for every last tear in the house that he would make Freddy Fender proud.

But amongst the madhouse hi jinx of the telenovela world, Zacarias and Valenzuela gives us a story. The play begins on “dark stormy night,” when two women, one rich, one poor, check into the hospital to give birth. A plot is hatched to switch the babes hence messing with “destiny.” As the drama (and I do mean DRAMA) unfolds each character finds an unknown strength and resilience they didn’t know existed, thus revealing destiny is all costume, makeup and props. In short, Zacarias and Valenzuela poke fun at the idea that destiny itself is nothing but a theatrical device.

Ultimately, each character gets his or her just deserts, and like a classic commedia or melodrama, the audience is cheering or jeering at the results.

A comedy such as this gives OSF actors a chance to send up these over-the-top stereotypes with superb timing for maximum laughs. One can’t help but wonder if the actors are having the times of their lives. Destiny of Desire surely belongs at the top of “must-see”s at OSF this season.